Call centers today use a variety of web-based applications. These applications provide computer-telephony integration, workflow automation, and legacy system integrations, for example. Recently, real-time communication (instant messaging (IM), for example) applications have gained popularity. These IM applications allow customers or other call center representatives to query a specialized group of representatives and receive answers in real time. However, these are mostly standalone applications that are not integrated with other applications.
The following illustrate the need for a messaging and collaboration platform to be integrated with an existing call center web application, for example. First, web applications should drive and control the access, usage and features of the IM application based on the user's current profile and the task being performed. During or after a messaging session, the representative may need to send or receive data to or from other applications.
Second, the average handling time (AHT) of each transaction can be reduced if the representative does not need to manually enter the application information. In addition, the look and feel of the messaging and collaboration application needs to be similar to that of other applications to reduce the learning curve. And finally, a call center representative's efficiency may be increased if the number of windows open on the representative's desktop is kept to a minimum.
Thus, there is a need for improved systems and methods for providing a messaging service. For instance, there is a need for a messaging service integrated with an application.